Rug anchoring tape



Aug. 7, 1962 w. J. REINHARD 3,047,903

RUG ANCHQRING TAPE Filed neo. 22, 1959 United States Patent C) 3,047,903 RUG ANCHORING TAPE Walter J. Reinhard, P.O. BOX 662, Crystal River, Fla. Filed Dec. 22, 1959, Ser. No. 861,327 4 Claims. (Cl. 16-16) This invention relates to rug anchoring tapes, and more specifically to a rug-anchoring tape that will eliminate the need to use nails, tacks or other fastening devices which mar the floor surface.

Heretofore, wall-to-wall carpeting has been anchored to the floor by tacking or nailing the carpet along its edge. The tack heads formed pockets which accumulated dirt and gave a generally unattractive appearance to the room. To eliminate these objections, the prior art provided a rigid lath-type of structure, adapted to be laid along the flooring adjacent the baseboard. The lath itself was nailed to the floor and the carpeting was fastened thereto by means of up-standing pins protruding from the upper surface thereof.

In my U.S. Patent No. 2,709,826 I disclosed a form of rug or carpet anchoring tape which was designed to take the place of the above-mentioned lath. This tape had plate members provided with protruding prongs adapted to grip the carpet backing, the plates themselves being anchored to the floor by means of tacks or nails. The tape -made it possible to tit the carpet around irregularities in the Walls and floor surface better than the rigid lath-type of structure, but both the lath and the tape had to be nailed or tacked to the Hoor surface. Besides marring the floor, either of these means made it difficult to remove the carpeting for cleaning or other purposes. Furthermore, where the flooring was made of terrazzo or concrete, it was necessary to drill holes and this made such carpet installation a difficult, time-consuming and expensive job.

The object of the present invention is to provide a rug or carpet anchoring tape that will hold the rug or carpeting securely to the oor surface without the necessity of using nails or tacks. Another object of the present invention is to provide such a carpet anchoring tape that will facilitate installation of carpeting around irregularities 1n the walls, such as fireplaces, doors and other room openings, and that will also make it possible to obtain a perfect fit along irregular oor surfaces, such as are found in older houses.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a carpet anchoring tape that will be suitable for use in installations on asphalt tile, terrazzo or concrete floors. A still further object of the present invention is to provide such a tape that will facilitate removal of the carpeting for cleaning or other purposes.

In the following detailed description of my new tape, the terms rug and carpet will be used synonymously, and what is discussed with respect to a carpet will apply equally well to a rug.

In accordance with the above-mentioned objects I have invented a rug or carpet anchoring tape comprised of a strip of adhesive material which may be adhered to the floor surface without the use of nails or tacks. A series of relatively flat anchoring plates are secured in spaced relation along the length of this adhesive material, the plates being provided with a plurality of upwardly projecting prongs for penetrating and securely engaging the backing of carpet material disposed over the tape. Overlying these plates I have further provided a strip of open-mesh fabric extending along the adhesive material. The open-mesh fabric permits the upper surface of the adhesive material to contact the carpet backing, thus maintaining the carpet in snug engagement with the upwardly projecting prongs. By means of this tape, carpeting may be rmly anchored to the oor surface without the necessity of using nails, tacks or other devices that mar the floor surface.

These objects and advantages may be 'further described in reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. l shows a plan view, with parts broken away, of my new carpet anchoring tape;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a floor surface and baseboard with my improved carpet anchoring tape installed in position; and

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 4 4 of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawing, and especially to FIGS. l and 2, it Will be observed that I have provided a carpet anchoring tape 10 formed of a layer of adhesive material 11 and having a series of relatively flat anchoring plates 12 spaced along the adhesive material 11 at suitable intervals. Each of these plates 12 has a plurality of upwardly projecting prongs 13, pointed for engaging the backing B of carpeting C. The general arrangement of these anchoring plates 12, as well as the plates 12 themselves, are substantially as disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. Patent No. 2,709,826, except that no openings need be provided through the plates 12, as they are not nailed or tacked to the flooring F.

The height of the prongs 13 must be suicient to grip the carpet backing B securely and will vary depending on the type of carpeting C to be anchored. A height of 1/s inch should prove satisfactory in the usual case. The plates themselves are desirably made of metal.

Overlying the plates 12 is Ia strip of open-mesh fabric 14, composed of warp yarns 15 and weft yarns 16. The fabric 14 extends along the length of the adhesive material 11 and affords` fthe necessary strength to the tape. T'he fabric must be of open-mesh construction to permit the carpet backing B to contact the upper surface of the adhesive material 11, thereby making it possible for the adhesive to hold the carpeting C in snug engagement with the upwardly projecting prongs 13. The fabric may be of the scrim type or it may be of an open weave. The individual Ifibers may be of glass, nylon, rayon or other suitable material. The important feature of the fabric, however, is the openness of the weave, which must be sufficient to permit the adhesive material 11 to adhere to the carpet backing B. `I have found that a mesh ranging in size from 1A inch to 1/2 inch is satisfactory,

The adhesive should ybe one that is strong, that ages well and that will not damage the oor surface. I have found that a suitable adhesive is a pressure sensitive one comprising a rubber and -tackifying resin dispersed in water 0r other solvents, such als the adhesiveknown as Dispersite Adhesive 1651 XA, manufactured by the Naugatuck Chemical Division of United States Rubber Company. If desired, the `adhesive may be of the heat-scalable type, as well as ofthe pressure sensitive type that is normally tacky. It should fbe understood, however, that any -adhesive material, having the requisite strength Iand aging characteristics and which will not damage the ilooring surface, may be used.

To permit the tape to be rolled up when not in use, I pro-vide it with a backing of release paper `17, which is stripped therefrom before the tape is put in use.

In applying the carpet C to a oor surface F using my new carpet anchoring tape, the carpet underlay U, shown in FIG. 3, is lirst cut to the proper size and then applied to the floor F, so that a strip of floor surface, equal to the width of my tape 10, is left exposed yall the way around the room. Lengths of my improved tape, which may, for convenience, be made up in the form of lrolls, are separated from the release paper 17 and laid along the edge of the oor adjacent the wall W. The adhesive material 11 securely anchors the tape to the floor F. The carpet C is the-n placed over the underlay U and stretched into position. Pressure is then applied to force the upwardly projecting prongs 13 of the anchor plates 12 into the backing B. FIG. 4 clearly shows how the open-mesh fabric 14 permits the carpet backing B to contact the layer of adhesive material 11, thus to maintain the carpeting C in snug engagement with the prongs 13.

As shown in FiG. 3, the carpet underlay U is essentially butted to the carpet anchoring tape 10. This may present a slight vertical irregularity. If the underlay is especially heavy, therefore, it should be beveled, as shown at 13,'

to provide for a more gradual transition.

Although the tape has een described with respect to a means of anchoring carpeting `at the room edge, it should be understood that my novel tape may also be used for mid-room anchoring of rugs or carpeting. The tape may also be used to keep small or scatter rugs from slipping on polished flooring. When used for mid-room anchoring, the tape can be laid diagonally across the room to prevent rugs from shifting. When used as -a mid-room anchoring for carpeting, it can only be the underlay that will be prevented from shifting, as will be readily understood. As is obvious, this type of anchoring tape will be invaluable in preventing small scatter or throw rugs from slipping, especially on highly-polished floors.

I have, thus, provided a new and improved -rug or carpet anchoring tape, especially adapted for use where it is desired not to mar the flooring surface by means of nails or tacks. In the case of terrazzo or concrete oors, use of this tape lobviates the necessity of `d1illing into the ooring, which would otherwise be required. Use of my new anchoring tape permits carpeting to be removed easily for cleaning, for reversing the carpeting to secure more even wear or `for any other purpose.

Although my invention has been set forth as embodied in a particular form of tape, it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited in scope to the particular tape shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, desire to protect `by Letters Patent is:

1. A carpet anchoring tape comprising a strip of adhesive material adapted to be adhered to the oor surface, a series of relatively flat anchoring plates overlying said adhesive material, said plates having a plurality of upwardly projecting prongs for penetrating and securely engaging the backing of carpeting disposed over said tape,

what I claim and and a strip of open-mesh fabric overlying `said plates and extending along said adhesive material, said fabric being adapted to permit the upper surface of said adhesive material in between said plates to contact the carpet backing, whereby the carpet will be maintained in snug engagement with said upwardly projecting prongs.

2. A carpet anchoring tape comprising a strip of normally tacky, pressure-sensitive adhesive material adapted to be adhered to the oor surface, a series of relatively -at metal lanchoring plates overlying said adhesive material, said plates having a plurality of upwardly projecting prongs for penetrating and securely engaging the backing of carpeting disposed over said tape, and a strip of open-mesh fabric overlying said plates and extending along said adhesive material, the `openings of said mesh being of a size sufficient to permit the upper surface of said adhesive material in between said plates to Contact the carpet backing, whereby the carpet will be maintained in snug engagement with said upwardly projecting prongs.

3. A carpet anchoring tape comprising a strip of heatsealable `adhesive material adapted to be adhered to the floor surface, a series of relatively Hat metal anchoring plates overying said adhesive material, said plates having a plurality of upwardly projecting prongs for penetrating and `securely engaging the backing of carpeting disposed over said tape, and a strip of open-mesh fabric overlying said plates and extending along said adhesive material, the openings of said mesh being of a size suicient to permit the upper surface of said adhesive material in between said plates `to contact the carpet backing, wherebythe carpet will be maintained in snug engagement with said upwardly projecting prongs.

4. A carpet anchoring tape as described in claim 1, in which the openings `of said mesh range in size from 1A inch to 1/2 inch.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,875,735 Jackson Sept. 6, 1932 2,211,574 McNicholas Aug. 13, 1940 2,364,001 Schieman Nov. 28, 1944 2,552,114 Reinhard May 8, 1951 

